


Beautiful Fraud

by i_kinda_like_writing



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Film, M/M, News Media, Steve Rogers Feels, Talk Shows, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2015-10-06
Packaged: 2018-04-25 01:59:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4942306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_kinda_like_writing/pseuds/i_kinda_like_writing
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 1971 an old film reel is discovered of Steve Rogers that alludes to him having had a lover before meeting his famous partner, Peggy Carter.<br/>In 2011, Steve Rogers goes on television and tells the world the one thing they want to hear: who was holding the camera.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Beautiful Fraud

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I really enjoy the idea that the media was still fascinated with Steve/Cap even after he died and this is my interpretation of that idea.  
> The title comes from a film quote by Jean-Luc Godard that goes "Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the whole world".

In 1971 an old reel of film was found in the back of what, at the time, was a French bakery. The bakery was expanding into the old stationary store next door and after knocking down a wall, the contractors found a hidden compartment. It turns out that the bakery used to be an old pawn shop in the 1930s and the owner, a notorious paranoid, had built a secret compartment for some of his higher end items.

Most of the items were gold watches or old letters from soldiers in the First World War. The owner of the bakery sold most of the items for a hefty profit, but no one could figure out why an old reel of film from a fairly ancient camera was in with these treasures. To find out, the owner sent the reel to someone who specialized in authenticating and estimating values for films.

What the authenticator, Terrence Bisset, found on the tape would inspire literature, speculation, and gossip for years to come.

The tape was of a young Steve Rogers, or better known as Captain America, in an apartment he shared with James “Bucky” Barnes. There wasn’t any sound, as it was a 1930s camera, but the actions of Rogers in the film provided enough on their own to bring up major controversy in the media. The YouTube copy of the video, uploaded by the official Stark account, is below.

 

_A static filled picture shows up after a few seconds of black. The frame slowly clears into a shaky image of a skinny Steve Rogers sitting on a couch, a bottle of whiskey grasped in one of his hands._

_His mouth starts moving as someone off-screen speaks to him, most likely the one holding the camera. Rogers grins widely, taking a swig from the bottle. He says something once again, pauses, and laughs widely. Even through the fuzziness of the picture, the viewer can see that Rogers’ eyes are fond as he gazes at the cameraperson. He says something else to the person._

_Rogers shakes his head, a grin still on his face, as the person responds. The camera moves up and down, distorting the picture a bit, and Rogers laughs again. He shakes his head once again. The viewer can infer that the cameraperson is trying to get him to do something and Rogers is refusing._

_Finally, Rogers sighs, put upon, and says something. He grins at the camera and says the same thing again. As he takes another sip from the bottle, he holds up his middle finger to the cameraperson and dissolves into giggles once again. When Rogers calms down, he sits up straighter, his expression going soft but serious._

_Then, very clearly, Rogers repeats what he said before, eyes looking above the camera lens and, most probably, at the cameraperson._

_This time, the words Rogers is saying are very clearly “I love you” and a name. The camera is put down and the viewer sees three seconds of a body moving to join Rogers on the couch before it goes black._

 

At the time, everyone had assumed Steve Rogers’ only love was Peggy Carter and the idea that he could’ve loved someone else stirred up a lot of noise. Steve Rogers and Peggy Carter have been _the_ image of love since the infamous recording of Rogers’ last words was leaked to the public. Rogers and Carter hadn’t met until Rogers went to basic training for the super-soldier program, and by the time he would’ve been in an environment like an apartment that we see in the video, he would’ve been big. There is no possible way the cameraperson in the video is Peggy Carter. Understandably, the film brought up a healthy dose of controversy.

The owner of the bakery sold the film to Howard Stark, supposedly on the order of Peggy Carter, though the reasons are still vague. Some argue she didn’t want the world to know Rogers had loved someone before her but others speculate that she was just protecting Rogers’ privacy, even after his death. Stark purchased the reel of film only two weeks after it was discovered, but not before its existence could be divulged to the public. After heavy intimidation by the media, Stark hired a lip reader to interpret the video so everyone would know what he was saying and released the video with the proper captions to the public. The official dialogue goes as following;

 

**Rogers** : What’re you doing with that camera?

**Rogers** : Turn it around if you want a good one.

**Rogers** : Didn’t anyone ever tell you lying is a sin?

**Rogers** : Fine, I love you.

**Rogers** : I love you.

**Rogers** : I love you, _______.

 

In the official script, Stark claimed the interpreter was unable to translate the name, which, of course, brought up gossip on who Steve Rogers loved before Peggy Carter in addition to speculation that Stark was lying in order to protect Rogers’ privacy as well. Numerous times it has been suggested that the cameraperson is a male, but no one has ever been able to support or dispute it entirely. To this day, no one can agree on what names Rogers proclaimed his love for, inciting many a historical debate and numerous writings on the subject of Rogers’ mysterious love.

As we close this article, written to commemorate the 25 year anniversary of the film’s discovery, we leave you with these questions that will probably never be answered; Who is the mysterious cameraperson who was able to get the future Captain America to admit on video his love for him/her? Does the key to unlocking this secret lie in deciphering the name Rogers speaks in the reel? And the most important question of all; do the citizens of America have any right demanding this information of a man who has already given so much for this country?

 

*~*~*

 

“Good Morning, America.” A peppy talk show host with great teeth grins at the camera. She’s wearing a pink dress that reaches her knees as she sits in a comfortable looking tan armchair. Her eyes are warm and kind, calming Steve’s nerves a little bit. He had a chance to talk with her a little before they started the show, so he knows she won’t be like the other interviewers he’s had that try to trick a wrong answer out of him. He’s nervous enough as it is; he doesn’t need confusing social mind games on top of it.

“I’m Robin Roberts and today I’m here with the very brave Steve Rogers, better known as Captain America.” She turns to him, smiling kindly. “How are you feeling today Steve?”

“To be honest? Kind of nervous.” Robin pats his knee.

“Anyone would be.” She turns back to the camera, pulling back her hand. “Steve is in the studio with us today because he has some information to share with the public.” Robin turns back to him, encouraging look gracing her face. Steve bites at his lip, searching for the courage to share this information. He finally sighs and looks into the camera.

“It has recently come to my attention that there is a certain video of me out in the world that was taken before I joined the US Army.” The live crowd begins to murmur in excitement. “I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding the circumstances of which the video was made and, of course, the cameraperson.” The murmurs grow louder with each second. Steve’s heart beats faster the noisier it gets. He wonders if the cameras can pick up on it.

“What would you like to share with us, Steve?” Robin asks. Steve looks back at her, remembers what he learned about her last week. Robin has a family with another woman; she’s gay and that is perfectly acceptable in the future. She will not be beaten, arrested, or killed because she loves someone of the same gender. The world has evolved. Bucky would’ve loved it.

“I’m here today to clear up the mystery surrounding the film. The person holding the camera was my friend, Bucky Barnes.” The murmurs erupt into gasps of surprise, huffs of outrage, and excited cheers. “We uh, we were in a romantic relationship for most of our adult lives and during the war. In the video, I do tell him that I love him several times. I sincerely hope that this doesn’t affect your opinion of me or Bucky, and that it doesn’t take away from the brave acts Bucky committed for this country. Part of what makes this country great, I think, is that we’re supposed to be a safe haven for people from all around the world, no matter who they love. I did love Bucky and I still do.” Steve looks down at his hands, fumbling with his fingers. “He was the love of my life.”

He has more to say, more in the script about requesting privacy as he’s still mourning Bucky and how he would appreciate if people would stop putting opinions in his mouth that he never said. But now that he’s told the world, admitted that the love of his life is gone, he just feels tired. To these people, this is history. Everyone who took 5th grade US history knows that Sergeant James Barnes fell from a moving train to his death somewhere in Europe and that not a week later Captain America crash landed somewhere in the Arctic. But for Steve, the love of his life, his best guy, and best friend for his entire life has been dead for about three months. Everyone else is already over it and Steve, well, he doesn’t think he ever will be.

Miss Potts, who has insisted many a time that he call her Pepper, walks onto stage and says the things for him. He’s ushered off stage by her as well and when they’re safe from the cameras, she wraps him up in a hug as if she could protect him from the hurt. Steve finds himself crying into her shoulder.

 

*~*~*

 

“Come on, Stevie,” Bucky fumbles drunkenly with the old camera he got as a tip from doing a job at the cinema a couple blocks over. Steve giggles from his spot on the couch, Bucky kneeling a couple feet away. He takes a swig from the whiskey bottle Bucky got to celebrate a big illustration job Steve was hired for yesterday. Just as he drops his hand, Bucky gets the camera set up and starts rolling.

“What’re you doin’ with that camera?” Steve asks, smiling as Bucky peers through the tiny lens.

“It’s got some leftover film.” Bucky says as he fiddles with some of the switches. He grins, looking up from the camera to hit Steve fully with the mischievous glint in his eye. “We’ll make ourselves a movie.”

“Turn it around if you want a good one.” Steve knows Bucky likes what Steve looks like, and it’s not that he doesn’t; it’s just that Steve knows more people would like to see Bucky’s face than his.

“Your pretty face would make a much better picture,” Bucky says. “I mean, who would want to look at you, beautiful?” Steve laughs. He knows his eyes look fond despite his best efforts.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you lying is a sin?” He says, just to get Bucky riled up.

“M’not lyin’,” Bucky grumbles, wrinkling his eyebrows together. “You’re the most handsome guy in any room, no contest. And I get to love him with all my heart and have him love me back.” He sits forward more, eye once again up against the lens. “Tell me you love me, Stevie.” Steve shakes his head, grinning like a loon. “C’mon Stevie, tell the camera that you love me. Tell the whole world how much you wanna kiss me.” Bucky moves the camera up and down as if nodding, telling Steve to do it. Steve laughs loudly at Bucky’s ridiculousness, shaking his head again. “C’mon Stevie.”

Steve sighs, put-upon, and says “Fine, I love you.”

“With more feelin’ than that, like you mean it.” Steve grins, looking into the camera lens.

“I love you.” Bucky grins, pulling back from his lens as Steve takes another swig of whiskey.

“Was that so hard?” Bucky says as if he’s speaking to a child. Steve flips him off. “Steve!” Bucky looks scandalized. “That was just obscene! What a bad Christian you are.” Bucky shakes his head like he’s scolding Steve and Steve erupts into giggles. The intensity of his laugh is probably at least half the liquor’s fault, but Bucky lights up anyway, eyes going soft and earnest. “Now,” he says quietly, “one more time, to me.”

Steve sits up straighter, sobering up a bit, and looks Bucky straight in the eye.

“I love you, Bucky Barnes.” Bucky’s expression goes tender and open, putting down the camera and moving over to the couch to kneel between Steve’s legs. With a soft but calloused hand he cups Steve’s cheeks, tilting his face towards Bucky’s.

“I will always love you Stevie. I don’t need no camera to make it last forever.” Then he shifts upwards, pressing his sweet, whiskey tasting lips against Steve’s and Steve agrees whole-heartedly. He doesn’t need a movie to remember this night. He knows he’ll never forget.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Comments and kudos are heavily encouraged so please leave a note about what you thought :)


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